Fitness: Are you tough enough to be a Spartan?

Like a trail race, but on steroids

Tough Mudder is one of the most difficult Spartan racing events.

Photograph by: Tough Mudder
, Postmedia News

MONTREAL - Jill McArten isn’t your typical Spartan race participant. The 43-year-old dance instructor is just over 5 feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. But last summer she trained for and ran her first Spartan race.

“I loved it,” she said. “It was a challenge that pushed me further than I have ever been pushed. And it’s taught me that I can achieve whatever I want if I work at it.”

Spartan races, mud runs and zombie runs are all variations of obstacle racing, the latest fitness craze. Best described as a trail race on steroids, most events take place off the beaten track and include a series of challenges that range from crawling through mud under the cover of barb wire to scaling 10-foot walls and jumping over a pit of fire.

Some of the races are timed, but most consider finishing the primary goal. Distances range from five to 20 kilometres, with speed only one of several physical skills needed to complete the challenges and cross the finish line.

Though the distances, obstacles, degree of difficulty and intensity vary significantly between races, there are two distinct themes to every event: toughness and fun.

Arguably one of the most difficult events is the Tough Mudder, a 16- to 20-km (10- to 12-mile) course that includes getting jolted with electricity, running shoulders deep through an ice bath and sliding downhill on a giant slip and slide into a pool of icy mud. Race organizers appeal to the toughest and fittest, pitting them against 25 to 30 obstacles that demand strength, stamina, agility and most of all tenacity.

The ultimate competitor for a Spartan, Tough Mudder or War Hero race is someone with superior functional strength and endurance. The necessary physical skills include being able to haul your body weight over walls, wiggle it through tunnels and race it up steep inclines and down treacherous declines. Mental strength is also important as the course is designed to test your inner will.

Cross Fit fanatics make up a large portion of obstacle racers, but so too do runners and gym rats. All need to do some form of training before competing, be it more running (Cross Fit and gym rats) or more strength and agility training (runners).

The other interesting feature of obstacle racing is that it tends to be more co-operative than a traditional road race. Sure, there are participants who want to cross the finish line ahead of everyone else, but, generally speaking, racers help each other complete the obstacles as it’s a rare competitor who excels at all the challenges.

Then there’s the fun factor, evident by the number of people wearing costumes, sporting wigs and downing a beer after crossing the finish line. Unlike the fruit, yogurt and granola bars served after most traditional runs, obstacle races are more likely to replenish lost energy stores with a good old fashioned barbecue and an icy cold keg.

If obstacle racing sounds like it’s right up your alley, here are a few things you need to know before hitting the start line.

Choose a race that best matches your level of fitness, sticking with shorter 5-6k courses with only a sprinkling of obstacles if you consider yourself moderately fit.

The event is more fun if you train and race with a partner or friends. Teamwork not only makes the obstacles easier, you’ll appreciate the added encouragement as you attempt some of the toughest parts of the course.

Leave your best training gear at home. Everything from your running shoes to underwear gets muddy, wet and ripped, so either be prepared to toss them all in the bin after the race, or bring a garbage bag to store your dirty gear and a change of clothes to don after the race.

Organizers claim obstacle racing is suitable for all ages, but the majority of the participants are young and fit. That said, it’s totally doable for the over-40 crowd — just be sure you spend several weeks preparing your body for the event.

Injuries are common. Cuts, bruises and rolled ankles are considered par for the course. But there have also been several serious injuries (broken bones, concussions, hypothermia) and a few fatalities since obstacle racing became popular. This isn’t meant to scare you off, but if you’re expected at work Monday morning you should know the risks.

This kind of fun isn’t cheap. Entrance fees start at about $60.00 and can reach well over $100.00.

If you want to join in on the fun, but are looking for something a little less physically demanding, try a colour run. The two main runs are the Colour Run and the Colour Me Rad Run, which are untimed short (5K) events that douse participants in coloured powder several times during the run.

Participants start wearing white and finish with a rainbow of colour on their clothes, hair and shoes. Though officially classified as a run, the majority of the crowd spends at least some of the 5K walking. Most people run in groups of two or more and costumes are encouraged. It’s more social than physical, which makes it perfect for novice exercisers looking for more smiles than sweat.

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